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The impromptu announcement had distracted her from the thoughts of disobeying her father and him beating her senseless when he saw her tagging along with him to Kansas, but it would be hard to forgive Hugh for pulling a stunt like that.
She’d given him a piece of her mind the moment they were alone. He’d laughed her anger off by telling her how cute she was when mad. Furious would have been a better word choice. The guilt for going behind her father’s back and disobeying him had lifted as she watched Hugh head back to town and she knew sneaking away with the cattle drive was exactly what she needed. She had to get away from Hugh long enough to figure out what she really wanted.
Her aunts and uncles weren’t present this morning. They’d said their goodbyes to her pa the night before and she was glad for it. Sneaking away with Laurel watching would be hard enough without her uncles hovering nearby. The only ones up now were the ranch hands staying behind to take care of the animals, the cowboys going with her pa, and her, Landon and Laurel.
“Does it show on my face how badly I want him to stay?”
Alex looked at her stepmother, the smile on the woman’s face looked serene but the frightened look in her eyes was telling. “He’ll be fine.”
Laurel nodded and looked back out across the yard to where her father stood. “I know he will but I still worry. Lord knows what they’ll encounter.”
“He can handle anything. He’s an Avery, remember?”
Laurel laughed. “Yes, and that’s why I’m worried. You Avery’s are too pig-headed to know your own limitations.” She inhaled a deep breath and pulled the shawl around her shoulders tighter. “What if they run into Indians or wild animals?”
Alex hadn’t thought of that. The wild animals would be worrisome but there wasn’t a cowboy around who didn’t carry a weapon. The Indians were another story, though. They came at you in large numbers and chances are, you’ll not see them coming until it’s too late. “You’re just inviting worry thinking about things that might not even happen.”
“I know but I can’t help it.”
As much as Alex tried to reassure Laurel nothing she said helped and she really couldn’t blame her. The trip would be dangerous to a certain degree. There were a number of things that could go wrong. But those same things could happen right there in Willow Creek. Indians could come through the valley and kill them in their sleep as easily as they could out on the prairie, and wild animals could sneak onto ranch land without anyone seeing them. Nothing in life was completely safe. Everything had its own dangers but you couldn’t stop living because of it.
Her father turned and started back toward the house, Holt following on his heels. It still galled Alex that her pa was allowing the kid to go while refusing to let her. She wanted to smack the boy every time he gloated about being able to go with them but knew doing so would only invite trouble so she kept her hands to herself.
Holden and Holt reached the porch just as the rumble of hundreds of cows ran past the house. Her pa was grinning when he jumped up on the porch. “Looks like we’re ready.” He grabbed Laurel, hugged her to him and kissed her as if the two of them were in the privacy of their bedroom.
Alex looked away, watching as the ranch hands staying behind gathered near the barn to watch the cowboys driving the herd past the house. She searched those standing in the shimmering light of the breaking dawn for Jesse, but couldn’t make him out. Not that she wanted to see him, she told herself. She still had to grab her bag from the barn loft and change her clothes. Running into him this morning would make it harder to sneak away and catch up to the herd but she searched for the smallest glimpse of him anyway.
Her father let go of Laurel, whispered something into her ear that had her grinning widely, then turned to say his goodbyes to Landon before turning to look at her. He smiled before crossing the distance between them, hugging her tightly before laying a kiss to her forehead. “I’m counting on you to keep Laurel occupied while I’m gone. She’s worried about nothing so come keep her company when you can.”
She nodded, not daring to flat out lie to him by promising to do as he asked. The goodbyes were bittersweet as she watched her pa and Holt head across the yard to their horses, Laurel waving them both off when they turned and threw up a hand and she didn’t move until they were a hazy blur on the horizon.
“Will you be staying for breakfast?”
The word, “no,” was on the tip of her tongue. She was itching to go change her clothes and join her father but didn’t want to draw suspicion to herself either.
She glanced at Laurel. She was looking at her with one eyebrow raised, her mouth tilted up on one side as if she were trying not to smile. Did she know what was planned?
Nah. Alex dismissed the idea. There was no way she could know. “Sure,” she said. “I can’t stay long, though. I have things to do today.”
Laurel turned and Alex saw a smile grow on her face when she did. Her pulse leaped. Maybe Laurel did know what she had planned.
She turned and went inside when Landon did and followed Laurel into the kitchen. She’d have to watch what she said. As much as she hated to admit it, Laurel always seemed to be one step ahead of her. Maybe it was a mother’s intuition to know your child is up to something. Laurel may not be her mother by blood, but she’d raised her since she was ten. If anyone knew when she was up to no good, it would be Laurel.
Thankfully, breakfast was uneventful. Alex kept the conversation geared toward teaching, a topic she knew the woman would be more than willing to participate in. Laurel loved her time as Willow Creek’s school teacher and even though she knew how much Laurel loved being at home with her pa and brothers, she missed teaching. You could see it in her eyes when she talked about it.
Alex was able to say her goodbyes an hour later. She’d stayed to help clean up the mess and had to force herself not to run out of the house. The moment her feet touched the grass beyond the back porch, she headed straight for the barn.
The ranch hands who were lingering at the entrance slowed Alex’s steps. She bit her lip, searching the faces of those standing there for Jesse.
The bell her pa had mounted to the bunk house rang. She glanced over her shoulder and saw one of the new cowboys ringing it. When the other ranch hands turned to look, someone yelled, “Breakfast.” The men scattered like mice leaving the entrance of the barn wide open.
Stepping into the darkened interior of the barn, Alex glanced around to see if any of the ranch hands stilled remained. Not seeing anyone, she made her way to the loft, climbed the ladder and hurried to the back corner where she hid her bag.
She changed her clothes quickly, slipping on the denim trousers and long-sleeved chambray shirt she’d bought at the mercantile. She shoved her feet into her old work boots, braided her hair and stuffed it under one of her pa’s old brown hats. The clothes she’d been wearing were tucked back into the satchel and hidden under a pile of straw.
Dragging her packed saddlebags from the corner, she crept to the edge of the loft and looked down. Seeing no one below, she dropped the bag and quickly backed down the ladder, making her way to the stall her horse rested in.
She saddled him just as the sun peaked over the mountain. By the time she was ready to go, adrenaline caused blood to race through her veins. Mounting her horse, she headed out of the barn, not slowing to see if anyone had seen her.
